Building Briefs – July 31st

A pre-determination hearing into Aberdeen FC’s plans for a new stadium on the outskirts of the city will take place in September.

The £50 million stadium and training facilities would be at Kingsford, close to the Aberdeen bypass, near Westhill.

The hearing will take place on Wednesday 13 September at Aberdeen Town House.

It will give people who have written in about the application a chance to speak about it directly to city councillors.

Aberdeen FC said if planning permission was granted in October, it could still have the stadium completed in 2020.

Objectors say concerns include traffic and parking issues.

The club believes the new stadium is vital if it is to achieve a sustainable future.

Work underway to safeguard Caledonian Canal’s 200-year-old Ness Weir

The 200-year-old Thomas Telford-built Ness Weir on the Caledonian Canal is undergoing a major refurbishment as custodians Scottish Canals aim to extend the structure’s lifespan by a century.

The £2 million Scottish Government-funded project will see the weir, which sits at the mouth of Loch Dochfour and the River Ness, reinforced with 500 metres of steel piling to strengthen the structure and safeguard it for future generations.

Work is currently underway, with the project scheduled to be completed by the end of October 2017.

Constructed between 1825 and 1830, the weir raises the water level of Loch Dochfour by almost two metres and Loch Ness by 1.2 metres and retains around 100,000,000m3 of water. Thanks to this elegant engineering solution, vessels are able to transit through Dochgarroch lock, through Loch Dochfour, and into Loch Ness.

Part of the project will involve the installation of a temporary fish pass linking the River Ness and the mouth of Loch Dochfour. This will ensure continued upstream and downstream movement of fish whilst the existing pass is blocked off for installation of the strengthening piles. Scottish Canals is liaising with SEPA and the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board throughout the project to ensure the habitat’s fish population is unaffected by the works.

Due to the large scale of the works, the canal towpath between Tomnahurich Swing Bridge and Dochgarroch Lock will be closed to the public until the completion of the project. The opposite towpath will remain open for use. The closed towpath will be repaired at the end of the project, removing potholes and improving the surface for all users. This towpath is expected to be re-opened by mid-December 2017. The works are not expected to have any impact on boat traffic.

Cushman & Wakefield to advise on Edinburgh Airport development

Crosswind Developments, the sister company of Edinburgh Airport, has appointed global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield to advise on the strategy and delivery of more than 100 acres of development land at Edinburgh Airport.

The site will be released following closure of the airport’s little-used secondary ‘crosswind’ runway. It stretches from south-east of the passenger terminal towards the Gogar roundabout, where the City of Edinburgh Bypass meets the A8.

As part of its plans Edinburgh Airport’s newly formed company Crosswind Developments has already stated it intends to fund a new terminal access road adding to the already-impressive local infrastructure. This includes the nearby Edinburgh Gateway Station, the tram-train interchange which opened in December with direct links to the city centre as well as north to Fife and beyond.

Cushman & Wakefield’s team includes practice leaders in development and planning, energy and sustainability and financial modelling alongside its Edinburgh team.

John Hartson granted permission to build Borders mansion

Former Celtic footballer John Hartson has been granted permission to build a luxury mansion after moving back to Scotland.

The former striker is to build a five-bedroom house in West Linton, Peebleshire, where he lives with his Scots-born wife Sarah.

He bought a plot next to a golf course and the local council has been given the work the green light.

https://twitter.com/JohnHartson10/status/889792133607174145

The former Wales internationalist, who posted an image of the property on Twitter, said he was delighted with the work that has been done on the land over the last six months. The house will also boast a double garage, gym and study.

Huge office deals deliver record-breaking activity in Edinburgh

Three of the biggest city centre deals in the UK helped deliver a record-breaking quarter in commercial property take-up in Edinburgh.

Figures from leading real estate advisory business GVA reveal the capital saw a staggering 175% increase in take-up over the five year quarterly average, with a total of 432,350 sq. ft. This was driven by the Government Property Unit’s agreement to let 189,000 sq. ft. at New Waverley and investment manager State Street’s decision to pre-let 65,600 sq. ft. at Quartermile 3.

In comparison to Edinburgh, activity in Glasgow was subdued with take-up in the city centre at 132,060 sq. ft. Out-of-town performance was up 52% on the five-year quarterly average, from 90,400 sq. ft. to 137,040 sq. ft. Police Scotland let 27,760 sq. ft. at Inchinnan Road, Paisley in the quarter’s third largest out-of-town deal in the UK.

Total take-up for the first half of 2017 in Edinburgh amounted to 626,575 sq. ft. with Glasgow on 235,280 sq. ft.

Wester Ord to Blacktop Road to close for two weeks

The C127C Wester Ord to Blacktop Road is expected to close west of Baillieswell Road for two weeks from Monday 7 August to enable the contractor for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project to undertake surfacing works.

It is anticipated that the road will close at 6am on Monday 7 August and it is expected to reopen around 10pm on Sunday 20 August.

Plans refused for 13-turbine Highlands wind farm

Plans to build a 13-turbine wind farm in the Highlands have been refused by Scottish Ministers

Developer Force 9 Energy proposed to build the Cnoc An Eas Wind Farm 136.5 metres high on a site approximately 9km west of Drumnadrochit and above Glenurquhart.

Despite the local authority refusing the application and conservation charity John Muir Trust objecting to the plans, the developer appealed the decision to the Scottish Government.

However, in June a government Reporter dismissed the appeal and refused planning permission.

Campaigners objected to the development for a number of reasons, including the visual and environmental impact it would have on the area.

£15m north Glasgow electricity substation upgrade takes shape

A £15 million electricity substation modernisation project is taking shape in the north of Glasgow.

Work at Lambhill Substation involves extending the west side of the facility to allow the reconfiguration of the layout along with the demolition and replacement of ageing equipment. New equipment will be installed to meet the needs of SP Energy Networks’ distribution network across central and southern Scotland.

The project is now on scheduled to be completed in late 2017, months ahead of the original 2018 completion date.

Work continues on £1.5m Argyll and Bute roadworks programme

Work is continuing on a £1.5 million council roadworks programme in Argyll and Bute.

Surfacing improvements are currently being completed and scheduled to finish at the end of this month. Work is being carried out in a number of areas, from Kintyre to Lorn, Lomond to Mull.

The scheme forms part of wider a £3.6m investment programme involving surface dressing, which seals the road to stop water getting in and improve skid resistance, as well as covering the entire carriageway with a new surface.

Areas where work is being carried out include:

Renfrewshire bridge upgrade project to begin

Work is to begin on a £100,000 bridge upgrade project in Renfrewshire.

The Category A-listed Inchinnan Bascule Bridge is to undergo essential mechanical works to lengthen its lifespan and ensure it retains the ability to open and close for traffic on the White Cart River when required.

The four-week refurbishment will begin on August 5. The structure will remain open for pedestrians and cyclists across the duration of the scheduled works.

Planned works set to take place on the outlying Barnsford Road will be postponed until a later date in order to minimise disruption in the area as much as possible.